Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 5, 1995 TAG: 9504060006
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 12 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ALMENA HUGHES FOOD EDITOR
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
When the urge struck a few days ago, she dug up some wild dandelions from her lawn and made herself a salad.
"Virtually the whole plant is edible," Mary Johnson said of the familiar and fertile plants, which originated in Asia more than 1,000 years ago.
Brown is head of the office systems technology program at Virginia Western Community College. Johnson is assistant professor of office systems technology. They share both an office and an enthusiasm for herbs.
Both past presidents of The Herb Society of Southwestern Virginia, they consider the yellow-headed weeds now appearing, like it or not, in local landscapes and lawns, not as a springtime scourge but as an abundant, free source of nutrients, medicinals and fascinating lore.
"Dandelion connoisseurs put flower pots over them to blanch them and take away some of their bitterness. You can even buy seeds and plant your own dandelions," Johnson said, jokingly warning that neighbors might not be thrilled by such a sowing.
Brown said that her grandmother may have fed her some dandelion greens. But the first time she can really remember tasting them was about 10 years ago at a wild-foods weekend festival in North Carolina.
"The main event was to go out and forage," Brown recalled. "Then we came back and divided up into different teams to prepare meals. One of the things that I ate was dandelion fritters and dandelion greens."
At an annual dandelion festival in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., Brown first attended a lecture by botanist Peter A. Gail, whose books include "The Dandelion Celebration: A Guide to Unexpected Cuisine." Gail, who founded and directs the Goosefoot Acres Center for Wild Vegetable Research and Education in Cleveland, has studied the use of wild vegetables by various ethnic groups. He says that dandelions are more nutritious than broccoli or spinach.
The April 1994 issue of "Organic Gardening" newsletter cited U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that about one-half cup of dandelion leaves contains approximately 280 percent of the adult daily requirement of beta carotene and more than half the daily requirement of vitamin C, and is a good source of magnesium, calcium, iron and potassium.
"I just pick what I want from my yard," Brown said, noting that the standard lawn variety dandelion is perfectly edible as long as it hasn't been treated with herbicides.
"The best way to get rid of dandelions is to dig them up and pick off the flower heads," she advised, because as any homeowner can attest, herbicides won't necessarily get rid of these hardy plants.
But while a bane for some, the plant's hardiness is a saving grace for people who would use it as cuisine.
Gail says that the best time to collect dandelion leaves is in the spring before the flower buds appear. If, however, buds or flowers have already appeared, wait until flowering is complete, cut off the old greens and flowers at the root and let new greens grow. Harvest the new greens while young and tender, and they will be only slightly more bitter than in early spring.
Brown likened the flavor of raw dandelion greens to escarole. The basic cooking method is similar to that for more familiar greens, such as collards, mustards or turnips: Wash the greens thoroughly in slightly warm water, removing old, discolored or badly broken leaves. Cut off the roots and any tough stems and wash again, lifting the greens out of the water to allow any sand to settle in the pan.
Sprinkle the greens with salt and cook them, in just the water clinging to the leaves after washing, in a tightly covered heavy pot or steamer for about 5 or 10 minutes or until they are limp and barely tender. Drain them and chop fine. Dress and season them according to your taste.
"The dandelions that taste the best are in good soil. So if you have dandelions coming up in your garden, they probably would taste better than what you have in your yard," Brown advised.
"You have to experiment, but as a rule, whatever you like on your salads or however you like to cook other greens will probably work for your dandelions," she said.
Gail's book presents less-predictable preparations. Its more than 75 recipes range from dip or petal soup to dandelion bread, pizza, quiche, several wines and fried fritters. A helpful illustration breaks down the dandelion's components for the uninitiated: root, crown, basal bud, leaves, bud and flower. Plus Gail provides loads of lore and hints. For example, the plant's bitterness can be decreased by letting the greens stand overnight in cold water or by cooking the greens in two changes of water with a bit of baking soda added to the first change.
"Serving dandelion greens on bread, for some reason which I cannot explain, completely eliminates the bitterness,'' Gail writes, suggesting that thin Greek or Middle Eastern breads make excellent wrappers.
Several of Gail's recipes follow, reprinted with permission from "The Dandelion Celebration: A Guide to Unexpected Cuisine" by Peter A. Gail, Ph.D., copyright 1994, published by Goosefoot Acres Press, P.O. Box 18016, Cleveland, Ohio 18016. The paperback book costs $10.95 and may be ordered at that address or by calling (800) 697-4858.
The Herb Society of Southwestern Virginia also offers many ideas for the use and preparation of dandelions as well as numerous other herbs. The 125-member society, founded about 12 years ago, meets on the fourth Thursday of each month at Christ Lutheran Church, 2011 Brandon Ave. S.W., Roanoke, at 7 p.m.
"We're an active group," Johnson said. "We have speakers at every meeting on various topics ranging from cooking with herbs to crafting with them. We also have herbal refreshments that the members prepare themselves. Membership is open to anybody who is interested in herbs.
"We participate in various community activities. We support the [Virginia Western Community College] arboretum and have an herb garden over there. We give lectures and talks to different groups. We go down to Explore Park and talk to the school children on herbs. We donated plants to the Salem museum's herb garden. We go on tours of various herb farms, we take little trips and participate in the herb festival at the Plant Plant every August."
The society also published two volumes of "Savory Favorites and Sage Advice," from which one of the following recipes is taken. Volume I of the book is out of print. Volume II may be ordered by sending $10 plus $2 postage and handling to The Herb Society of Southwestern Virginia, Mary J. Johnson, P.O. Box 77, Salem, Va. 24153. For additional information, Brown and Johnson can be reached at 857-7216.
Recipes for:
GREENS-AND-BACON SALAD
FATICA'S DANDELION SALAD
MARI'S DANDELION WINE
BERT GREENE'S CRUSTLESS GREENS PIE
by CNB